Folding machine



Nov. 29, 1932. J. SCHMIEDEL FOLDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19,

Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHANNES SCHMIEDEL,OF DRESDEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOBLTO UNIVERSELLE CIGA-RETTE'NMASCHINEN-FABRIK J. C. MULLER & 00., OF DRESDEN, GERMANY FOLDINGMACHINE Application filed February 19, 1932, Serial No.

My invention relates to folding machines, and more particularly to afolding machine for cigarette and other packages.

It is an object of my invention to prov de improved means forpositioning the gluing flaps of the packages. To this end, in a machinehaving a folding gauge, a folding slide adapted to force a folding blockthrough the folding gauge with the blank, and an abutment for supportingthe block and the blank, I provide a resiliently supported pressureplate on the folding slide for engaging the upper side of the block andfingers, also 01 the slide, for engaging the gluing flaps.

My invention will be described as applied to the folding of cigarettepackages consisting of a box and a lid. The walls of the box are offsetfor forming a seat or neck for the lid. Such a box normally receives twolayers of cigarettes, the lower layer being at the level of the plain,and the upper layer being at the level of the offset or neck portions,of the walls. Due to the offsetting, the lower portion of the package isa little wider than its upper portion so that the lower layer ofcigarettes has some play in the lower portion of the box. It has alreadybeen suggested, as described in German Patent 513,984, to insert fillingstrips in the wider portion below the set-01f seat or neck for the lid,and it has also been suggested in the same patent to provide gluingflaps in the extension of two opposite walls of the box which flaps,when the box is folded, bear on the adjacent side 3 walls below theoffset seat or neck and partly fill in the wider space. The flaps canfulfill their task only if they are moved into the proper position whenfolding the box.

According to my invention in which a folding block together with theblank is forced through an opening in a folding gauge until both arearrested by an abutment or table, the flaps are positioned by providingthe folding slide with fingers and two relatively movable parts whichare held in'a given initial position with respect to each other bysprings or the like. Folding slides having two relatively movable partsare old in the art. The fingers project'downwardly from, and are rigidlyconnected to, the body of the 594,017, and in Germany February 23, 1931.

slide. When the folding operation has been completed the folding blockwith the folded blank and the movable part of the slide which bears onthe block, are arrested by the abutment and the springs between the bodyand the movable part are compressed as the body of the slide moves on,the fingers engage the previously folded-up gluing flaps and move theminto the proper position in which they bear on the inner walls of theblank below the offset portion.

It is another object of my invention to provide improved means forreceiving the boxes folded from the blanks and the folding blocks whichare within the boxes. To this end I design each abutment or table as thebottom of a tray for the reception of a box and its folding block andprovide resiliently supported walls at the sides of the tray which arein line with the side walls of the box to which the gluing flaps on theend walls are attached. By these means the side walls are moved asideagainst the action of the resiliently supported walls when the fingerson the body of the slide enter the box, but after the fingers have beenretracted upon the up or return stroke of the slide, the side walls areforced inwardly against the block together with the gluing flaps whichhave been positioned by the fingers.

It is still another object of my invention to provide improved means forremoving the finished boxes and the folding blocks from the machine. Tothis end I provide a conveyer, for instance, a chain, to which thetables are attached at regular intervals. The trays on the tables aresuccessively and intermittently moved into registering relation with thefolding gauge and the finished boxes are moved on by the conveyer. Theboxes are held on the folding blocks by the walls of the trays whilebeing removed by the conveyer.

It is still another object of my invention to relieve the means forconveying the trays of the folding pressure. To this end I provide afixed abutment for the tables or tray bottoms to bear on under thepressure of the folding slide.

At the station to which the boxes are transported by the trays on theconveyer, lids may be placed on the seat or neck portions of the I boxesand box and the lid may be connected by a strip so that after the striphas been severed at three sides a package with a hinged lid is obtainedin which the unsevered portion of the strip constitutes the hinge andalso the corner connections.

In the drawing affixed to this specification and forming part thereof afolding machine embodying my invention is illustrated diagrammaticallyby way of example.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a partly sectional elevation of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II in F i l igi 3 is a partlysectional elevation of the folding slide and a tray, viewed as in Fig. 2but drawn to a larger scale,

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the blank ready for folding, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective illustration of the folded box.

Referring now to the drawing, and first to Figs. 4 and 5. Z is theblank. It has a rectangular bottom, end flaps b, side flaps 0 and gluingflaps a at opposite sides of the end flaps b. The bottom of the blank isnicked along the dotted lines. Fig. 4, and the end flaps b are alsonicked where gluing flaps a are connected to them. Both the end and theside flaps are set off, as best seen in Fig. 5, and glue is applied at zwhere the gluing flaps a engage the inner sides of the side flaps 0.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3, (Z is the base plate of the machine and eis an upright on the base plate, with a guiding block 4 at its upperend. 3 is the folding slide and 3 is a slide bar at the upper end of thefolding slide which is mounted to reciprocate in the block 4.Reciprocation may be imparted to the folding slide 3 by any suitablemeans, for instance, by a rocking lever 5 which is fulcrumed in theupright e at 5 and connected to the slide bar by a link 5. The lever 5may be operated by any suitable means (not shown).

1 is a folding gauge which is arranged at a suitable distance above andin parallel to, the base plate (Z. The blanks Z are located by angularend checks 29, 29 and a side check 30, Fig. 2, at three sides of theopenlng 1n the gauge 1. 31 is a plate or chute along Wl'llCll the blanksZ are fed by any suitable means, for instance, a hinged finger 32. Thefinger pushes each blank into engagement with the side check 30 as shownin Fig. 2. The blank is further located by the end checks 29, Fig. 1. 2are blocks at the sides of the opening in the gauge 1 for supporting thegluing flaps a, the position of the blocks with respect to the blank Zbeing indicated in dotted lines 111 Fi 4.

The blanks are folded through the medium of folding blocks f. Thefolding blocks are fed along a channel 10 at the upper end of a support11 on the base plate d. A push bar 16 with a finger 17 hinged to it, thedownward movement of which is limited by a check 16', is provided forfeeding the blocks. In the final position above the opening in the gauge1, the blocks are retained by a check 15 at the end of the channel 10,Fig. 2, and by spring catches 13, 14 at the sides of the channel 10, asshown in Fig. 1. The bottom of the channel is cut away at its end topermit the blocks F to move into the opening of the gauge 1 with theblank Z, as will be described.

7 is a resiliently supported pressure plate at the lower end of thefolding slide 3 as best seen in Fig. 3, 8 are pins which extend upwardlyfrom the pressure plate 7 through the body of the slide 3, 9 are springsinserted between the body 3 and the pressure plate 7 and surrounding thepins 8, and 8 are checks or heads at the upper ends of the pins 8.Normally the springs 9 are distended and the checks or heads 8 bear onthe upper face of the slide body, as shown in Fig. 2. 6 are fingersextending downwardly from opposite end faces of the slide 3 forpositioning the gluing flaps a. One finger per flap is provided.

18 is a conveyer below the gauge 1 for receiving and removing thefinished boxes from the gauge 1. The conveyer is here shown as a chainin which normal links alternate with pairs of parallel and Verticalsupporting ribs 28. Each pair of supporting ribs are attached to, orintegral with, the lower side of a supporting table or abutment 21 whichis fitted to slide on horizontal slide bars constituted by the upperflanges of Z-sections 22 on the base plate (Z, Fig. 2, which arearranged at opposite sides of the conveyer 18 and engage in notches 21in the sides of the tables 21. Each table is equipped with a tray havingangular end plates 20 and angular side plates 23. 24 are buffersextending in parallel to the inner faces of the side plates 23, 25 arepins to which the buffers are attached and 26 are springs which areinserted between the inner faces of the angular side plates 23 and theouter faces of the buffers 24 and surround the pins 25, i. e. the traysmay have resilient walls instead of the buffers. as best seen in Fig. 3.Instead of providing springs the buffers themselves may be maderesilient. 27 is a fixed abutment on the base plate at which is arrangedbelow the opening of the gauge 1 and adapted to support the pairs ofparallel ribs 28 on the tables 21. The end of the fixed abutment 27which extends against the direction in which the trays 20, 23 are fedtoward the gauge 1 (from the left to the right in Fig. 1), is beveled inorder to facilitate the rising of the ribs 28 onto the parallel portionof the abutment with llfi . consideration of the inevitable slack at theis reciprocated by an suitable means (not shown The finger 1 is free tomove across the folding blocks F which are still in the channel when thepush bar is retracted but is retained by the check 16' when the push bar16 advances. Glue is applied to the side flaps c at 2', Fig. 4, forholding the gluing flaps a, as will be described.

The slide 3 now descends its pressure late 7 bears on the upper face 0the folding filock F and forces the block down onto the blank, movingaside the spring catches 14. The folding block .F now bears on the blankZ with its lower face and upon the further descent of the slide 3 causesthe gluing flaps a to be folded up by the blocks 2. This operation isperformed without the end flaps b being supported but there is nodifiiculty about this because the nicked connection of the bottom of theblank and the end flaps b is larger than the short nicked connection forthe gluing flaps a and therefore exerts a higher resistance to bending.The flaps b and 0 are slide 3. First, the side flaps c are folded up bythe sides 1 of the opening in the gauge 1 and then the end flaps b arefolded up by the sides 1 of the opening. This prevents interference ofthe gluing flaps a with the side flaps 0 when the gluing flaps a enterbetween the side flaps c.

The strength of the springs 9 between the pressure plate 7 and the bodyof the slide 3 is so determined that the pressure plate is not forced upin the slide 3 by the reaction of k the folding operations. However,when the finished box with the b..ock F in it is moved down onto thattable 21 which is in linewiththe opening in the gauge 1, the springs 9are compressed while the slide 3 descends further. The fingers 6 of theslide now engage the gluing flaps a. It will appear from Fig. 3 that thefingers 6 which. as shown, project downwardly from the slide 3, forceapart the side flaps c againstthe pressure of the spring buffers 24 sothat the gluing-flaps, if not properly positioned already, are forcedinto the proper position with respect to the offset lower portions ofthe side flaps c by the fingers 6. Fig. 3 shows the slide 3 in its lowerfinal position. Damage to the offset side flaps c is prevented as theyare free to yield against the pressure of the buffers'24 or theresilient walls (not shown) of the tray while on the other hand thebuffers hold the side flaps applied to the gluing flaps which in turnare supported by the block F, when the fin rs 6 recede with theascending slide 3. en the springs 9 are compressed the checks or heads8' at their upper ends rise above the descending slide 3 as shown inFig. 7

3. The clearance is so determined that upon the upward stroke of theslide 3 the pressure plate 7 remains on the upper face of the foldmgblock F while the fingers 6 move out of engagement with the gluing flapsa. The pressure plate 7 is retracted after the slide 3.

as engaged the checks or heads 8' from below. In this manner the foldingblock F is retained on the table 21 with the finished box by the plate 7and not entrained by the fingers 6. The table 21 which is in line withthe gauge 1, bears on the fixed abutment 27 with the ribs 28 so that thepressure exerted on the block and the blank will not bend the slide.bars 22 which is important as the pressure is rather high. As ment oned,the abutment 27 is beveled at the end toward which the arriving tables21 move. The finished" boxes, with the folding blocks F therein, arethen intermittently fed to a station where the lid is fitted to the boxand connected with'the box by a strip of paper, as described.

In the example shown and described only the box portion of the packageis folded. Obviously the machine may also be used for folding boxes froma blank having a box and a lid portion. with a folding block F. foldedup upon the further descent of the My novel machine may be used as aninde-. pendent unit or as part of a plant in which the box is folded atone station, the lid is folded at another station and the lid and thebox are connected at a third station. The lid is placed on the box andthe lid and the box are connected by a strip of paper, as described. Inthis manner a package is ob to subsequently make claim to anymodification not covered by these claims is expressly reserved.

blank and said abutment, and fin ers on said slide for applying saidgluing aps to the corresponding walls of the folded blank.

2. In a machine for folding blanks having offset walls and gluing flapsadapted to engage the lower portions of the corresponding offset walls,a folding gauge, a folding slide adapted to force a folding blockthrough an opening in said gauge together with the blank, an abutmentfor supporting the block and the folded blank, a resiliently supportedpressure plate on said folding slide for holding said block on saidblank and said abutment,-and fingers on said slide for applying saidgluing flaps to said lower portions.

3. In a machine for folding packages from blanks having glueing flaps, afolding gauge, a folding slide adapted to force a folding block throughan opening in said gauge together with the blank, a table for supportingthe block and the folded blank, a resiliently supported pressure plateon said folding slide for holding said block on said blank and saidtable, a fixed abutment for supporting said table, and fingers on saidslide for applying said gluing flaps to the corresponding walls of thefolded blank.

4. In a machine for folding packages from blanks having gluing flaps, afolding gauge, a folding slide adapted to force a folding block throughan opening in said gauge together with the blank, a table for supportingthe block and the folded blank, a resiliently supported pressure plateon said folding slide for holding said block on said blank and saidtable, a tray on said table for supporting the folded blanks, a fixedabutment for supporting said table, and fingers on said slide forapplying said gluing flaps to the corresponding walls of the foldedblank.

5. In a machine for folding packages from blanks having gluing flaps, afolding gauge, a folding slide adapted to force a folding block throughan opening in said gauge to gether with the blank, a table forsupporting the block and the folded blank, a resiliently supportedpressure plate on said folding slide for holding said block on saidblank and said table, a tray on said table for supporting the foldedblanks, resilient walls forming part of said tray for supporting thosewalls of the blank to which said gluing flaps are applied, a fixedabutment for supporting said table, and fingers on said slide forapplying said gluing flaps to the corresponding walls of the foldedblank.

6. In a machine for folding packages from blanks having gluing flaps, afolding gauge, a folding slide adapted to force a folding block throughan opening in said gauge together with the blank, a table for supportingthe block and the folded blank, a resiliently supported pressure plateon said folding slide for holding said block on said blank and saidtable, a tray on said table for supporting the plied, resilient meansfor hol ing said movable walls engaged with the walls of said blank, afixed abutment for sup orting said table, and fingers on said slide orapplying said gluing flaps to the corresponding walls of the foldedblank.

7. In a machine for folding packages from blanks having gluing flaps, afolding gauge, a folding slide adapted to force a folding block throughan opening in said gauge together with the blank, movable abutments eachadapted to support one of said blocks and the corresponding foldedblank, a conveyer for intermittently presenting said abutments to theopening in said gauge, a resiliently supported pressure plate on saidfolding slide for holding each block on the corresponding blank and thecorresponding abutment, and fingers on said slide for applying saidgluing flaps to the corresponding Walls of the folded blank.

8. In a machine for folding packages from blanks having gluing flaps, afolding gauge, a folding slide adapted to force a folding block throughan opening in said gauge together with the blank, movable abutments eachadapted to support one of said blocks and the corresponding foldedblank, a conveyer for intermittently presenting said abutments to theopening in said gauge, a fixed abutment for supporting that movableabutment which is presented to the opening in said gauge, a resilientlysupported pressure plate on said folding slide for holding each block onthe corresponding blank and the corresponding abutment, and fingers onsaid slide for applying said gluing flaps to the corresponding walls ofthe folded blank.

9. In a machine for folding packages from blanks having gluing flaps, afolding gauge, a folding slide adapted to force a folding block throughan opening in said gauge together with the blank, movable abutments eachadapted to support one of said blocks and the corresponding foldedblanks, a tray on each movable abutment for supporting the folded blankon the corresponding folding block, a conveyor for intermittentlypresenting said abutments to the opening in said gauge, a resilientlysupported pressure plate on said folding slide for holding each block onthe corresponding blank and the corresponding abutment, and fingers onsaid slide for applying said gluing flaps to the corresponding walls ofthe folded blank.

10. In a machine for folding packages from blanks having gluing flaps, afolding gauge, a folding slide adapted to force a folding block throughan opening in said gauge together with the blank, movable abutments eachadapted to support one of said blocks and the corresponding foldedblank, a tray on each movable abutment for supporting the folded blankon the corres ondin folding block, resilient means on eacii tray orapplying the blank to the corresponding block, a conveyer forintermitently presenting said abutments to the opening in said gauge, aresiliently supported pressure plate on said folding slide for holdingeach block on the corresponding blank and the corresponding abutment,and fingers on said slide for ap lying said gluing flaps to thecorrespon ing walls of the folded blank.

In testimony whereof I 'aflix my signature.

J OHANNES SCHMIEDEL.

